Precarious
by Squidpoo
Summary: Kakashi finished a mission early and is having a few drinks in a nearby village. He unexpectedly runs into Iruka in the same village. Kakashi decides this to be the time to get to know the teacher more. Better summary inside. Rated M in future chapters.
1. Unpredictable Encounter

**Summary**: Kakashi, having finished his mission early, decides to have a few drinks to drag out his mission's completion time. He unexpectedly runs into Iruka, who had also just got through completing a mission that was to be kept secret. Kakashi gets Iruka to sit with him and get to know the young teacher better, but Iruka shouldn't linger too long in the village due to his recently carried out mission; danger could be following him and he needed to get back to the village, but somehow couldn't say no to the jounin. As they sit and chat both open up to each other and see that they both had wrong impressions of the other_. Eventually_ Kakashi/Iruka shonen-ai/yaoi.

**Author**: Hello, I'm Squid and this is my first Fanfic! Please, even if you do no read the entire chapter please review! REVIEW REVIEW! This will later become rated M for subject matter and shonen-ai/yaoi-ness. I have got an idea for this story out-lined and am just wanting/needing some support from fellow Kakashi/Iruka fans! This will be eventually Kakashi/Iruka shonen-ai/yaoi Fanfic! :9

"_thoughts"_

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Naruto or any part, fragment, or microscopic section, of Naruto's characters ;~;

**Precarious **

Chapter One: _Unpredictable Encounter _

Kakashi's POV

"Arigatou," Kakashi thanked the waitress as she brought him another bottle of sake. Kakashi knew the female was eyeing him the whole time she was waiting on him and Kakashi too was eyeing her, of course without her knowing it. Kakashi had recently completed a mission, early like always, and was dragging out the rest of the time he had left for it. He was having a few drinks at a bar in a small village a day's travel from Konoha.

Kakashi decided it was time to get some rest and would head back to the village in the morning. He thanked the waitress as he moved to leave the bar, paying for the sake but not tipping the waitress. He could have sworn he heard the young woman curse at him as he left. Kakashi pulled out his Icha Icha Paradise and began to read as he walked through the small village in search of an inn, taking note to the sun setting. Kakashi took a deep breath, he loved sunsets and early mornings; the air would cool and the smell of dew would make itself known. _"Ahh… my body is slightly warm from my sake; I'm ready for a good peaceful sleep. None of the brats are around." _Kakashi's visible eye never left the direction of his book's pages, continuing in a slow stroll as he searched for an inn.

"Thank you sir, have a good night too," a man replied to the restaurant owner as he made his way out of the Ramen hut.

Kakashi's eye slowly drifted from his precious book as he heard a vaguely familiar voice. He couldn't make out whom it belonged to but realized he shouldn't considering his location at the time _"Why would there be another shinobi here?"_ His eyes found a man dressed in Hidden Leaf shinobi attire. _"Hurm, who could this be? It sounded like a male's voice…" _Kakashi watched the man, hiding behind his book as the other shinobi walked down the street, obviously heading back to Konoha given the direction he was walking. _"Brown hair worn in a pony tail…" _Kakashi unconsciously was quickening his pace to get a better view of the shinobi and didn't realize he was right behind the man now. _"Why wouldn't this shinobi just rest of the night and head back to the village in the morning?" _

Kakashi came to a quick halt as the shinobi turned around to face Kakashi. Kakashi had stopped so suddenly that his nose smashed against the pages of his favorite book. He squinted his eyes as the sting from his nose rose to his eyes. He blinked away the uncontrollable watering his visible eye was producing. As his vision cleared, he saw a tanned man, slightly shorter than himself, stand in front of him in a lazy stance. He had a thin scar across the bridge of his nose that continued to grace the tops of his cheeks slightly. Kakashi found the man's dark coloured eyes and found he was being looked at with an unpleasant, rather annoyed-looking, gaze.

"Hello, Kakashi-sensei," the man spoke calmly.

Iruka's POV

Iruka had just finished a rather challenging mission and was resting in a nearby village. The teacher was viewed as a chuunin but not many knew he was already offered a jounin title. Iruka had politely turned it down because he was very content with being a village teacher. He enjoyed himself and loved his students and feared becoming a jounin would take time away from that aspect of his life. He loved Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, as well as all his other former students, and was proud of all of them for coming as far as the young genin had. Iruka even loved Konohamaru and all the other young children he was currently teaching despite their behavior resemblance to Naruto's.

Iruka had been assigned a mission to go in aid of an allied village, to assonate a well known crime lord. Iruka had completed his mission, entering the village unnoticed; however, as he carried out his mission he found himself only killing those who got in the way of completing the mission. Iruka couldn't bring himself to aimlessly kill people and was well aware of, despite his swiftness, the fact that a member of the crime lord's gang could have seen Iruka. Whether it had been in detail or his village hitai-ate, Iruka knew he should take no chances and return to Konoha as soon as possible. He knew of the high possibility of devoted gang members looking for whomever assonated their boss.

Iruka was hungry so he decided to stop at a little ramen hut to quickly eat a meal then be on his way. _"The sun will be setting soon"_ He took a seat and ordered a bowl of ramen, no flavor in particular, and took a deep, calming breath. He hadn't taken a break since before he left for his mission. Iruka smiled as Naruto came to his mind. _"Naruto would like this little ramen hut, it reminds me of Ichiraku's" _Iruka put out his hands to wrap his worn fingers around the steaming bowl of ramen being placed in front of him. Iruka thanked the man and proceeded to break apart his chop sticks, "Itadaki-masu," he mumbled as he took his first bite.

"_I wonder how Naruto is doing with his training with Jiraiya-sensei. It's been months since I've seen him. Sakura's training has been improving… and Sasuke" _Iruka took another deep breath, chewing in silence as he reminisced about his former students. Finishing the bowl of ramen quicker than expected Iruka sighed in defeat as he ordered another bowl. He was becoming depressed thinking of all the hardships his former students had been enduring as of late and knew the ramen would help fill and calm him. As he waited for his next bowl, Iruka was in his thoughts again, _"I can't imagine how hard it must be for them two knowing Sasuke left the village. They both loved him so much. Sakura's love more known then Naruto's; but, Naruto never got the chance to tell Sasuke his feelings… how much he had meant to him. Poor kids." _

Iruka bowed his head in thanks as he dug into his next bowl of ramen. More aware of the time now, noticing the sun was setting, Iruka hurried to finish, bringing the bowl to his lips drinking the left over broth. Iruka put money to cover the tab on the counter and stood.

"Thank you young man, please come again!" The store owner said to Iruka as he started to clean up Iruka's empty ramen bowls while giving him a pleased smile, "and have a good night now."

Iruka smiled at the man, bowing his head as he left, "Thank you sir, have a good night too." Iruka exited the ramen hut and began his walk back to Konoha. _"Such a nice man, I am certain Naruto would of liked this little ramen hut, it's a shame I couldn't spend more time here but I must be on my way. It will be night soon and I must continue back to the village." _Iruka heard someone behind him and continue to hear the soft footsteps as Iruka continued through the village. Iruka got the feeling the person may be following him. _"If it were a gang member why would they not be trying to conceal their presence from me? They don't seem to be even trying to make themselves hidden." _

Iruka didn't waver in his pace but focused on the figure behind him. Iruka felt his eyes uncontrollably roll upwards as he realized the jounin's all too familiar chakra. _"Kakashi Hatake" _Iruka tried to figure out what the odds where that the lazy jounin would be in the same village Iruka was passing through and even more coincidently, running into each other at the same time. _"He hasn't been following me for long has he?!" _Iruka let the jounin follow him for a ways, feeling the jounin close in on him. _"What is he doing?" _Iruka, thinking Kakashi was plotting some kind of prank, with the speed of a well trained shinobi, turned to face the jounin.

Iruka couldn't help but chuckle on the inside at the sight of that outrageous book whack the lazy jounin in the nose as he stopped suddenly out of surprise. Seeing that it actually caused a bit of discomfort for the jounin as Iruka noticed Kakashi's visible eye start to water, Iruka found it even harder to keep in the laugh that was just begging to be let out. Iruka managed to keep his voice smooth and calm as he spoke, "Hello, Kakashi-sensei."

Author: Okay sorry getting tired I have more to write but think this is a good part to stop for chapter one! Please let me know what you think! Was the chapter long enough or too short? Please REVIEW thank you so much for reading! I'm eager to hear from all! ^^ (edit: this was supposed to be uploaded last night but for some reason wouldn't upload so here it is now! Please review! Thanks again for reading!)


	2. Perplexed

**Summary**: Kakashi, having finished his mission early, decides to have a few drinks to drag out his mission's completion time. He unexpectedly runs into Iruka, who had also just got through completing a mission that was to be kept secret. Kakashi gets Iruka to sit with him and get to know the young teacher better, but Iruka shouldn't linger too long in the village due to his recently carried out mission; danger could be following him and he needed to get back to the village, but somehow couldn't say no to the jounin. As they sit and chat both open up to each other and see that they both had wrong impressions of the other_. Eventually_ Kakashi/Iruka shonen-ai/yaoi.

"_thoughts"_

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Naruto or any part, fragment, or microscopic section, of Naruto's characters ;~;

**Precarious**

Chapter Two: Perplexed

_"Iruka-sensei!? Why is he here?" _Kakashi straightened his posture and closed his Icha Icha book (already having what page he was on memorized), placing it in an inner vest pocket. "Maa, Iruka-sensei, kon-banwa," Kakashi's visible eye upturned as the taller man smiled; "What are you doing in this village?" Kakashi was taken slightly aback by his own bluntness; however, tried not to let it show. He watched the man intently as Iruka fidgeted slightly under his question.

"Good evening to you too Kakashi-sensei," Iruka replied yet his eyes drifted to the ground. _"Argh! Why did I have to run into him at a time like this! I wasn't planning on making up a story as to why I am where I am!" _Iruka absentmindedly scratched his nose as he began to answer, "umm… er… I just finished a mission and was on my way back to the village." Iruka let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and waited for a reaction from Kakashi. _"Please let that be good enough."_

"I see," Kakashi smiled behind his mask, "well then, are you in a hurry? What kind of mission was it?" _"Why must you travel back to the village at this hour Iruka-sensei?" _

_"Shoot,"_ Even in his thoughts, Iruka didn't like to curse unless forced to. He bit his bottom lip as he quickly came up with a response for Kakashi, "The mission was simply to deliver something to a nearby village. I've done that and now am on my way home."

_"Using such a vague word like 'something'… why is he keeping whatever he delivered a secret?" _Kakashi nodded, "I see, but you didn't answer my question." Kakashi could easily pull rank and force information about the mission out of the chunin but decided against it.

Iruka's eyes widened a bit, he began to feel himself turn slightly warm, _"Why am I becoming nervous!" _Iruka swallowed, "a-and what was that Kakashi-sensei?"

"Are you in a hurry? It's just about nightfall." Kakashi put his hands in his pockets, now in his all too recognizable lazy pose.

"Oh," Iruka again began to scratch his nose unconsciously, and smiled, "umm well, you see…" _"Oh darnit! The Hokage told me to keep this secret. I don't' know if I'm being followed or not! I really need to make my way back to the village."_

Kakashi took the chunin's hesitation as just being the polite man Iruka always seemed to be. _"He doesn't want to impose himself on me? This is perfect. We are both out of Konoha and won't be disturbed by any brats _(be it genin or other jounin)._ I think I still owe him an apology for how I responded to him before the chunin exams too…" _Kakashi's visible eye upturned in a smile, "Well good then, why don't you join me for a drink Iruka-sensei?"

_"Waa-what!?" _Iruka's mouth ever so slightly hung open in surprise. Iruka blinked a few times as what Kakashi asked him sunk in. "A d-drink?" was all the surprised teacher could manage.

Kakashi nodded, "Yes a drink. Why not let us… converse?" _"Converse? What the hell? Converse." _Kakashi had obviously not requested someone else's presence before. He mentally kicked himself for using such an odd word; he didn't feel it had the appealing edge he wanted it to have.

Iruka's mouth continued to hang open with surprise. Was Kakashi wanting to spend time with him? _"Kakashi… wants the company of another human being? Wow…and ME at that!" _Iruka, feeling his mouth become dry, licked his lips as he closed his mouth. "Umm well I wasn't really planning on staying in this village tonight…" Iruka couldn't look away from the older man in front of him. Iruka had a strange feeling inside him. For some reason Iruka felt somewhat privileged that Kakashi had asked him for drinks. He frowned on the inside not wanting to turn the jounin down; Iruka would of loved to learn more about Kakashi but needed to take his leave before someone recognized him.

"Come now Iruka-sensei," Kakashi began, his eyes watching every movement in Iruka's facial features, trying to pre-read the man, "you shouldn't work so hard on such a simple mission. Rest, we can return to the village in the morning."

Iruka felt a blood vessel in his head begin to protrude slightly at Kakashi's words 'you shouldn't work so hard'. _"Lazy bastard! I knew it! Look at you! Completing a mission early yet dragging out all the time you can milk from it! And you have the gull to turn in your reports late!" _ Iruka closed his eyes as he felt his blood pressure raising. He fisted his hands as he tried to calm himself. Now was not the time to get into an argument and cause a scene. Iruka didn't want attention turned to him from any of the villagers.

Kakashi watched as Iruka's face reddened slightly, it obviously was not a blush. _"Oh no, I made him mad… What did you say this time baka?" _Kakashi very quickly in his head went over what he had just said. "Iruka-sensei! I did not mean to imply for one not to work hard on his or her missions…" Kakashi scratched the back of his head as he faked a chuckle, realizing he had just admitted to the chunin that he was sluggish with his own missions and that every scolding he received from the chunin/teacher/missions office worker was justified tenfold.

Iruka took in a slow, deep breath. _"I will scold you later Kakashi-__**sensei**__." _Iruka put on a phony smile, "Oh don't worry, I understand Kakashi-_sensei_." Iruka emphasized the honorific as he continued, "But I rather stay the night in our village." Iruka's eyes widened slightly as he realized what the jounin had said to him earlier, _"'Rest, __**we**__ can return to the village in the morning.' Kakashi was going to accompany me back to the village if I would stay?" _Iruka couldn't believe that Kakashi was being nice to him; he simply was baffled by it.

_"Thank Kami he isn't going to yell at me! I don't know why he wants to travel to the village at night but… for some reason I want to know the man better." _Kakashi couldn't begin to understand why Iruka was a teacher _and _worked at the mission's office. Kakashi did not comprehend how Iruka could have put up with Naruto as a student and actually continue to want to be a teacher. "But Iruka-sensei, it's night now. Have a few drinks with me, let's chat. I promise to return you to the village in the morning." Kakashi gave his best smile a man could manage behind a mask.

Iruka sighed, feeling weaken by the jounin's foreign kindness. He didn't want Kakashi to think he hated him. He couldn't just turn him down the way he needed to in order to be safe. Kakashi had shown next to no kindness to anyone in the village and Iruka felt that Kakashi was reaching out to him in some way. That Kakashi might be lonely and wanted some company for a change. Iruka couldn't deny the man that. He had been a teacher for quite some time now and had always had a soft heart for the socially challenged one of the group. Even if the jounin was lazy and took advantage of situations and/or certain people (hint hint Iruka), Iruka couldn't deny he wanted to know more about the older man; he wanted to understand him better. _"'I promise to return you to the village in the morning' what did he mean by that? Is he taking responsibility for my possible actions if I do have a few drinks? Who does he think I am? I don't drink!"_

Letting out even a bigger sigh, Iruka realized his facade was up in a sense. He couldn't avoid Kakashi's advances without bringing up suspicions about why he needed to leave his current location in such a hurry. Iruka also didn't like the prospect that Kakashi might think Iruka hated him in any way. Iruka put his own hands in his pockets and gave Kakashi a stern look as he took a step towards the man, "I do not drink Kakashi-sensei. I have to be a role-model for the children of The Village Hidden in the Leaves."

_"Yes!" _Kakashi had a huge grin on his face, no one but he knew of it, as Iruka had consented to Kakashi's proposal. "But of course Iruka-sensei; however, we are not in Konoha. I will not tell if you don't." Kakashi fell in stride with Iruka as they began a slow pace back into the unfamiliar village, Kakashi smiling the whole way. _"Why am I so thrilled I was not turned down by this man? Why am I so eager to… 'converse' with him?" _Kakashi laughed again at his previous choice of words.

"Kakashi-sensei, I told you, I do _not_ drink." _"Argh, I feel like I'm already going to regret this…" _Iruka mentally shook his head at himself. The man had his hands tied behind his back though; somehow he had gotten himself into a lose/lose situation.

"But one drink won't hurt anyone Iruka-sensei," Kakashi tried to get the teacher to agree with him before they found themselves sitting in the bar. Kakashi had already had a few drinks tonight and would feel like a total loser if he would be the only one drinking again; even now that he had found company.

Iruka again felt himself weaken while in Kakashi's presence. _"He is right. One drink won't hurt me and it might calm my nerves since I'm so worried over watching out for, possibly imaginary, gang members. I haven't had a drink in months. Come to think of it, I haven't had a drink since Tsunade-sama, Shizune, and I had a drink in honor of Konoha's young ninja." _Referring to Sakura's progress in her medical training, Naruto's special training, and over the loss of Sasuke. _"And that didn't turn out well." _Iruka mentally shivered as he recalled the event. Tsunade haddrank too much too fast and was drunk before the hour had been up. He remembered how Shizune had had a few drinks herself but still scolded her best friend. The two had ended up having an all out yelling contest while poor Iruka was right between the two; he couldn't have even snuck out if he wanted to.

"Alright… Just one drink though." Iruka sighed, admitting defeat.

"Alright Iruka-sensei! Way to loosen up!" Kakashi found himself punching the chunin lightly in the arm before he realized what his own body was doing. _"Oh Kami, I hope it doesn't seem like I'm trying too hard. I don't want to seem… too forward with him. What the hell am I thinking? Who cares! It's Iruka! He was Naruto's teacher; he's a chunin for Kami's sake."_ Kakashi kept an upturned eye smile for Iruka to see as they made their way further into town, Kakashi taking the lead heading towards the bar he was at previously.

Iruka's eyes widened at the unexpected physical contact he had just received from Kakashi. _"Wow, Kakashi is almost being 'too' nice to me… it's kind of creepy." _"Umm Kakashi-sensei?"

"Yes Iruka-sensei?"

"I'm sorry if this sounds strange but… have you already had any sake?"

Kakashi felt a sweat drop down the back of his head, "Nani? Why would you assume such a thing Iruka-sensei?" Kakashi laughed slightly at the chunin, amazed at how he hit the nail on the head. _"Is this so out of character for me? To want the company of a fellow shinobi?" _

"Gomen-nasai, Kakashi-sensei. Forgive me, it was nothing." Iruka blushed slightly at his absurd assumption he made about the jounin. _"He may be lazy but that doesn't mean the man drinks in his spare time."_

Kakashi didn't reply, how could he? The younger man was right after all. Kakashi began to realize that the young chunin had been right in more instances then just the current one; recalling many previous encounters during the past years revolving around the mission's office. Kakashi turned the corner and approached the entrance of the bar he had previously been in. He cursed on the inside wishing the small village had more than one bar, recalling how he didn't tip the waitress. _"Maybe with luck she left."_

"Welcome," a young lady in a black Kimono began to greet Kakashi and Iruka as they entered the bar. The woman's fake excitement quickly faded as she gazed at Kakashi and added "_**-back**_" to her greeting.

_"Welcome back?" _Iruka watched as Kakashi scratched the back of his head, fidgeting.

"Did you bring more money this time sir?" The woman motioned for the two to sit at the exact table Kakashi was at minutes before. "Did you bring enough for a _tip_?"

_"Why is this woman acting in such a manner… wait. It seems she knows Kakashi. He didn't tip her?! He was here earlier drinking! That sounds so like him!" _Iruka was shaking his head as he sat down at the tall table that was towards the back of the bar. He watched Kakashi as the jounin began to dig in his vest.

"Maa, but of course!" Kakashi gave a fake grin to the young lady who was lingering at the table. Kakashi sat himself in the stool and reached for his wallet in his vest. _"Dammit, it can't be helped. I have to tip the bitch now." _Kakashi gave a few bills to the angered waitress. "A bottle of sake please, with two glasses."

"No problem," the woman snatched the bills of the masked man's grip and stomped off. 

"Kakashi."

Kakashi grimaced at the sound of his name coming from Iruka's mouth without the honorific attached. He gave the young teacher a raise of his visible eye brow.

"It seems that young waitress knows you." Iruka kept his gaze on the table's top, noticing the wood was quite worn from what looked like numerous bar scuffles.

"Maa, Iruka-sensei; she must have me confused with someone else," Kakashi scratched his nose as he smiled at the chunin.

"Kakashi."

Again, Kakashi didn't like the sound or tone of voice Iruka used as he said his name with no honorific. "Nnn?" He simply replied.

"You are one-eyed and wear a mask." Iruka then meet his gaze with Kakashi's.

Kakashi felt a chill come over him and he shivered. "Oh look the sake!" Kakashi quickly bowed his head with thanks to the now delighted young waitress as she placed a bottle of sake on the table. Kakashi poured a cup for him and for his new company. He smiled as he pushed the cup towards Iruka's side of the table, noticing the man's hands were in his lap. "Here you are Iruka-sensei, your _one_ drink." Kakashi raised his cup in a 'kampai' gesture and took a sip through his mask.

Iruka took a deep breath as he raised his hands, which were previously fisted, from his lap and took the sake in his grasp. _"What am I doing here?" _Iruka smiled as he mildly returned the cheers and took a sip of the warm sake. _"Mmm this is very good tasting sake." _

Kakashi smiled as he saw Iruka's eyes wonder to the table again. _"Oh he's upset with me hee hee." _"Soo… Iruka-sensei."

"Nnn?" Iruka let his eyes return to Kakashi's visible one. He took another sip of sake.

"How odd is it for us to run into each other in a village between missions?" Kakashi was already pouring himself another cup of sake.

Iruka coughed slightly as he accidently took a breath in when he was supposed to swallow. Recovering, he took another sip of sake before answering, "I agree. Low odds; this is such a coincidence." Iruka made sure to take note of each person that entered the bar, not wanting to be caught off guard if any gang members were to enter.

"Nnn, a nice coincidence." Kakashi took a sip of his newly filled cup of sake.

Iruka felt a slight blush grace his cheeks as he heard Kakashi's words. He kept his gaze focused on the groves in the table as he took another sip of sake. _"I agree Kakashi-kun… a nice coincidence indeed." _

Author: I'm soo happy with how this chapter turned out! I'm glad I got to write one a little bit longer then the first chapter! I want to thank those who reviewed chapter one and know that you helped me push this one out! Please note that the last line is Iruka's thoughts! . Please review! Thank you so much for reading! I am currently moving into a new apartment so I'm so sure when the next update will be but your reviews made me want to make you happy in a day's time! So I beg of you to review! ::tears of joy:: Thanks again!


	3. Apprehension

**Summary**: Kakashi, having finished his mission early, decides to have a few drinks to drag out his mission's completion time. He unexpectedly runs into Iruka, who had also just got through completing a mission that was to be kept secret. Kakashi gets Iruka to sit with him and get to know the young teacher better, but Iruka shouldn't linger too long in the village due to his recently carried out mission; danger could be following him and he needed to get back to the village, but somehow couldn't say no to the jounin. As they sit and chat both open up to each other and see that they both had wrong impressions of the other_. Eventually_ Kakashi/Iruka shonen-ai/yaoi.

**Author: **It's Squid here! I hope you enjoy this chapter! I'm still moving into my new apartment and I'm going to be having to do some major catching up with my classes at college soo… we'll see how things work out! Enjoy!

"_thoughts"_

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Naruto or any part, fragment, or microscopic section, of Naruto's characters ;~;

**Precarious **

Chapter Three: _Apprehension_

Iruka was not pleased with himself. Even though he knew the village he was in right now was unsafe, he could not reinforce the 'no' enough times to Kakashi to get him to let the chunin leave for Konoha. Iruka found himself sitting in a bar that night with Kakashi, who had already been there once in the same day, communicating with the jounin (frankly, Iruka didn't believe Kakashi was capable of such human behaviors). Iruka had never heard the man speak so many sentences in the entire time he'd known of the jounin, and found the man's soft deep voice to be, fascinating. Iruka had blushed slightly when he came to the realization he had been analyzing the man's voice.

Kakashi had long since polished off his own bottle of sake and was working on his second; Iruka, on the other hand, was only on his second cup. Kakashi kept encouraging Iruka to take bigger swallows of the sake; the chunin had merely been sipping upon it. Iruka needed to stay sober in case any gang members entered the bar; not wanting to be caught defenseless with drunkenness.

Iruka was taken aback when Kakashi started apologizing to him. Iruka wasn't sure of when the jounin was talking about (Iruka had taken Kakashi's words and behaviors towards him offensive many of times); but then Kakashi had begun to elaborate with saying he was apologizing for before the Chunin Exams were scheduled and his choice of words he used towards the younger man. Kakashi said he understood Iruka's worries concerning the young genins and how he would never, under any circumstances, put a comrade in harm's way; that he would never leave a comrade behind. Iruka felt himself staring with wide eyes at the man's body language as he spoke: Kakashi's voice had dropped in tone and was deeper, sadder somehow. The jounin seemed to clench his cup painfully as his visible eye intently watched the ripples his slight body trembles were giving it as he had spoken.

Iruka felt a rather large gulp of warm sake slide down his throat as he prepared a reply, "Kakashi-sensei-" Iruka let out a silent sigh as he really couldn't think up a reply to Kakashi's confession. He didn't take Kakashi to be the kind of man he just stated he was. Iruka saw Kakashi as a "mission first" kind of shinobi. _"I never knew Kakashi felt that way about everyone, about __**our **__comrades. What is in this man's past? The way his voice lowered and the darkening change in his facial expressions as he confided in me about his loyalty to his comrades… it makes me sad that I don't know what it is that could make Kakashi feel this way… become upset. I never knew he cared so much for someone… or someones before…for whatever happened in his past, or possibly recently."_

At the sound of his name, Kakashi's visible eye upturned into a smile as he lifted his sake to his masked lips for a finishing guzzle. He took the bottle of sake in his hand, turning his attention back to Iruka who Kakashi found was still watching him with a bewildered look that he had shown human emotions. Kakashi smirked to himself, "Oi, Iruka-sensei, more sake?" Kakashi watched as Iruka snapped back to reality, figuring he had been lost in his thoughts trying to figure out Kakashi's display of emotion. _"It will take you awhile to figure my past out Iruka-sensei, if you wish to. Not many know of my past… and even fewer of those would talk about it… no I'm sure none would speak of it… not anymore." _Kakashi smiled into his mask as he watched Iruka's cheeks turn a soft pink hue.

Iruka felt a blush come across his cheeks; he quickly looked down into his sake cup, trying to hide it. He was surprised to see that his last gulp had finished the cup off. Iruka sighed as he simply nodded in reply to Kakashi's question. He pushed the cup out slightly as Kakashi moved the sake bottle over his cup. The jounin then poured the warm alcohol into Iruka's cup and began to pour his own as Iruka began to speak.

"Kakashi-sensei, I appreciate your apology," _"I just can't not say something! After his … confidence in me, if that's what it was, I have to reply somehow to that. I'm not a wall, Kakashi chose me to talk to! He chose me!" _"But, I too should apologize for that past occurrence between us. You were right, you were their teacher at the time and you are fully aware of their individual abilities; and I should have had more faith in you Kakashi-sensei, I apologize for my sudden outburst back then in the Hidden Village." Iruka bowed his head to Kakashi with his apology.

"Maa, maa, Iruka-sensei!" Kakashi smiled as he waved his hand up in down at Iruka's actions, waving away his formalities. "Ii! It's fine! Please, you were just concerned, it was your place. It was not mine to speak to you in such a manner!" He continued to wave his hand at Iruka, hoping the man would quit his bowing. Kakashi never imagined the younger chunin would be bowing to him, for _any _reason imaginable at that; however, Kakashi slightly enjoyed it.

Iruka forced a smile and straightened himself, brining his sake cup to his lips as he tried to hide behind it. Iruka's eyes wondered back to the bar's entrance, remembering he hadn't been paying too much attention to it being caught up in his conversation with Kakashi (he never thought that would happen, ever in his life!) Iruka absentmindedly took another sip of sake as he reviewed each face in the bar, not seeing anyone out of commonplace.

_"Is he expecting someone? Does he know someone in this village? He continuously watches the front entrance…" _Kakashi came to the conclusion that Iruka's mission must not have been what he told Kakashi it was. There would be no need to watch the entrance if so; Iruka had never been one to be so concerned of his surroundings before, Kakashi was sure of it. _"Wow, Iruka-sensei lied. I didn't think he was capable of such things. He even lied to someone who out ranks him… I'm surprised with you Iruka-sensei." _Kakashi smirked to himself, slightly pleased that even the young teacher in front of him wasn't as virtuous as he was made out to be by all the villagers.

Kakashi decided not to bring it up to Iruka, even though if Kakashi asked further about it Iruka would have no choice but to answer truthfully. Kakashi was a higher ranked shinobi then Iruka. Kakashi smirked at his quick fantasy of making Iruka obey him by manipulating their ranks. Kakashi quickly frowned upon his fantasy realizing that the younger chunin would be spiteful to Kakashi afterward if he would do such an act him. Kakashi, not liking the strange silence between the two (they had been talking nonstop for about an hour now) blurted out the first subject that came to mind, "So… Iruka-sensei, how is your sex life?"

Iruka's eyes drifted back to Kakashi's face as the jounin began to speak; Iruka nearly fell over at the question that rolled out of Kakashi's masked lips. Iruka steadied himself, pulling out his handkerchief to wipe away the sake that spilled onto his hands due to his sudden movement at his surprise with Kakashi's words. Iruka felt a mad blush fill his facial features. After putting away his handkerchief, Iruka took a gulp of his sake.

_"PERVERT!" _Iruka tried his best to look angry but he was too embarrassed with the subject. "With all due respect Kakashi-sensei, you read too much Icha Icha!" Iruka didn't look at Kakashi as he turned his face away, failing horribly in hiding the blush that was covering every inch of the chunin's face. Iruka kept the sake cup pressed to his lips; it had been oddly comforting even though he knew it didn't hide much of his face at all.

Kakashi chuckled, ignoring the comment about his Icha Icha. _"Cute does not justify that face Iruka-sensei!" _Kakashi smiled at how such a topic could make the young teacher blush so wildly. Kakashi decided he couldn't stop there, he wanted more of that squirming and blushing out of Iruka. _"Haha he's so embarrassed! Why? It's not like either of us are virgins! He's reacting like a child!" _"Maa, Iruka-sensei! Come now, we are both men here! _Grown _adult men! Don't be so shy!" Kakashi leaned onto the table, his face hovering over the cups of sake in the direction of the flushed chunin.

Iruka felt a blood vessel in his forehead start to protrude as he became a mixture of feelings between frustration and embarrassment. Iruka continued his pouting face (facing away from Kakashi), as he sulked; too embarrassed to make eye contact with the jounin. Iruka wasn't as 'physically active' as the famed copy-nin was rumored to be. One of Iruka's general rules; however, was to not believe rumors, to find the truth yourself. Although, in the case of Kakashi, most rumors just seemed to fit him.

If at all possible, Iruka felt his face become even hotter as he exclaimed, "Kakashi-sensei! I am _not_ in any kind of sexual relationship!" Iruka winced at his own words, finding that it embarrassed himself even more knowing he sounded like Naruto right then; hell, he might as well just call Kakashi a pervert while he was at it for Kami's sake! Iruka chugged down the rest of his cup of sake in an attempt to dull the embarrassment he was feeling. Iruka was sure his face had a few flames shooting up here and there due to the intense heat he felt from his blush.

Kakashi had a peculiar sense of accomplishment as he watched the chunin become an intense fluster. _"He is so adorable! He sounds like a twelve year old! I wonder if he is still embarrassed to kiss his mother!" _Kakashi pondered his thoughts for a moment as he didn't recall hearing anything about Iruka's parents at all. Did they live in the village? Where they dead? Kakashi wanted to know more about the young teacher; he found himself thinking Iruka was becoming, captivating.

Iruka fumbled with the empty sake cup with his fingers as he felt Kakashi's gaze fall on him. He couldn't rid himself of the pesky heat that flooded his face. Iruka wasn't one to curse, but he was swearing in his head, wanting to rid his face of his blazing blush. With the sound of the bar's door open, Iruka (now a habit) turned his gaze to the group entering the bar. Iruka felt his heart stop. His blush felt like it was literally milting off his face; his skin becoming cold as he watched five well-built men take seats around the bar counter. The men were dressed in the same attire Iruka became familiar with on his mission he completed early this morning.

Kakashi chuckled, taking another drink of sake. He had finished another cup and began to pour him a new cup as he watched Iruka's eyes widen in what seems to be shock, the young teacher's face instantly paling. Kakashi, without moving his body, following Iruka's stare with his sharingan as he activated it under his hitai-ate.

_"Iie! No!" _Iruka jerked his gaze away from the men before they recognized his face; focusing his gaze on the floor opposite from the side that faced the bar. Iruka's vision was unfocused as he was lost in his thoughts. _"Gang members! They did follow! There seems to be five of them. They are all well-built younger men who seem they could be quite physically strong. Three of the men seem to be carrying swords, one has knuckles hanging on his belt, and the other I can't make out if he had a weapon or not; his view is blocked by the others." _Iruka continued to go over what weapons and/or abilities he could sum up in the mere seconds he watched the men enter and seat themselves._ Kakashi-sensei!" _Iruka's eyes didn't leave the direction of the floor as he was now faced with another challenge; he was at the moment responsible for Kakashi safety. Iruka quickly ran plans over in his head: he needed to tell Kakashi the truth, they needed to devise a plan out of the bar without being noticed, and in the case they were noticed how they would deal with the situation. If ,if and when noticed, a fight would break out in the bar area or outside the bar. If in the bar Iruka didn't want any innocents being brought into the mess and killed, so they would have to lure the men outside. Iruka ran strategies and tactics over and over in his head in mere seconds.

"IRUKA-SENSEI!"

If things weren't bad enough, Iruka's heart beat increased as the seemingly drunk jounin across the table from Iruka yelled his name. Iruka felt the sting of invisible tears as he felt things just couldn't possible get any worse. He felt the stares of the surrounding customers turn their attention to the yell that had seemed to echo in the bar. Iruka tried his best to hide his face, keeping his back to the men, praying to the Kami that the new arrivals seated at the bar did not waver their attention to the stupid, loud jounin in front of him.

"Kakashi-sensei! Please do not attract attention to us! Please be more quite!" Iruka softly yelled at Kakashi with a glare, being sure to keep his voice down; his fierce look only emitting from one eye as he tried to hold his posture keeping the bar area to his back. His mind began to race again through strategies, Kakashi's actions now tallied for.

"Aww Iruka! But I've been talking to you! You were zoning out!" Kakashi pouted. Iruka wasn't really paying attention to the jounin however, not even catching his name without the honorific. "Oh is she an ex-girlfriend Iruka-sensei!?" Kakashi leaned onto the table and nudged Iruka's empty cup that was still gripped by the younger man.

Iruka's gaze snapped to Kakashi, _"Ex-girlfriend!? What the hell is he talking about!?" _Iruka just looked perplexedly at Kakashi, totally lost at whatever conversation they had been having or possibly even continued to have to Iruka's apprehension. "Nani!?"

"Don't act sly! I saw you Iruka-sensei!" Kakashi punched Iruka's shoulder. Iruka's eyes were wide open in bewilderment. He honestly believed Kakashi was over his limit and possible had taken some kind of drug with the mixture of sake. "That woman in the red dress!"

Iruka's brows furrowed together in further confusion. He shook his head as he rolled his eyes at the insane jounin in front of him. He went back to his strategy creations.

"Is that how it is!? Well then I see you still have feelings for her Iruka-sensei! Leave it to me!" Kakashi rose from the table, filled sake up in one hand, sake bottle in the other.

Iruka's attention shot back to Kakashi. _"What the hell is he doing!" _Iruka reached out for Kakashi over the table, only being able to grab his gloved wrist. "Kakashi! What are you doing!?"

_"Ooo he's upset! No honorific again!" _Kakashi, with a slight twist of his arm, freed his wrist from Iruka's sloppy grasp, "It's okay Iruka! I'll talk to her for you!" and with that Kakashi was off towards the bar counter area.

Iruka could only watch with his mouth gapped open as Kakashi stumbled his way towards the group of men sitting silently at the bar counter, having to use other stools on his way to steady his balance. Iruka's heart pounded abnormally fast as he watched one of his 'superiors' stagger alongside the bar counter, using one arm against the back of a man at the bar to stable himself. It had been one of the five new male arrivals sitting at the bar. Iruka felt himself gulp air as his throat had gone dry from his heavy, nervous breathing. _"Oh, Kami. We're dead."_

**Author: **Thanks so much for reading! (I think Kakashi is a lil OCC right now but wait for the next chapter with his POV!) xD I'm sorry for the cliff-hanger but I thought this would be the best place to stop this chapter /// !!! You wouldn't believe how many scenes I've already written for this story! Do you want know of some scenes that will be coming up in this story? (5 pages of jibber jabber!) I'll leave it up to you reviewers! In your review let me know if you would like me to give "previews" to upcoming chapters! And also, this story takes place while Naruto is in the first stages of his 3-year training with Jiraiya~ So my question is: How old is Kakashi/Iruka!? What ages do you think they are? If you would help me out my readers I'd greatly appreciate it! Thanks again so much for reading/reviewing! You keep me going! Also, I've taken notice to some readers who've added me to their story-alerts yet haven't reviewed the story yet ;~; please _**please**_ submit a review! Thank you!


	4. Impulse

**Summary**: Kakashi, having finished his mission early, decides to have a few drinks to drag out his mission's completion time. He unexpectedly runs into Iruka, who had also just got through completing a mission that was to be kept secret. Kakashi gets Iruka to sit with him and get to know the young teacher better, but Iruka shouldn't linger too long in the village due to his recently carried out mission; danger could be following him and he needed to get back to the village, but somehow couldn't say no to the jounin. As they sit and chat both open up to each other and see that they both had wrong impressions of the other_. Eventually_ Kakashi/Iruka shonen-ai/yaoi.

**Author: **Ok I know it's been a while for an update and… I have no excuses (actually way more than one!)… I apologize!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Naruto or any part, fragment, or microscopic section, of Naruto's characters ;~;

**Precarious**

_Impulse_

Kakashi's POV-ish

In response to Iruka's sudden facial change, Kakashi's attention went to the five large men that were now sitting themselves at the bar counter. Kakashi watched as Iruka jerked his face to the side, completely lost in thought. _"Hurm, five large men, all dressed distinctively, come into a bar that two shinobi just happened to be passing through themselves due to missions… and little Iruka-sensei is instantly distraught when they came into his vision."_ Kakashi sighed to himself.

Kakashi kept his hands on his sake while he focused his energy into analyzing the "enemy" (Kakashi already had gotten the vibe from Iruka that these men apparently were no friends of his, and if someone didn't like the chunin then that person was either a trouble-making five year old or an enemy). Kakashi let his surroundings come to all his senses, he took in everything. He could practically taste the alcohol in the air, the stench of over perfumed women, the sounds of giggling and the even louder sounds of feet stumbling about, and the new sounds of the men at the bar. He watched them ever so slightly so not to be seen by _anyone._

"Iruka-sensei," Kakashi spoke Iruka's name, about to ask him why he was reacting the way he was at the sight of the men entering the bar (even though he already had a good guess as to why). No response. Kakashi tried again, "Iruka-_kun_?" The jounin winced, ready to be scolded by the teacher; then he realized Iruka was engulfed in thought. The chunin didn't even flinch to the sound of his name without the 'proper' honorific. _"Wow. This is serious. What could have him acting this way? The men are not dressed in attire I'm familiar with or even familiar to this village… Iruka said he had completed a mission not in this village but in a village neighboring this one… maa I see it now."_

Kakashi sipped his sake, intently watching Iruka as the chunin was still overcome in his thoughts. _"These men are after Iruka, rather after someone who most likely did something to their organization. What exactly was your mission Iruka? Why are these men seeking you? He is a chunin after all, maybe he was in over his head and was outnumbered and had to flee, leaving others to chase him. That's why he was planning on traveling back to the Village Hidden in the Leaves during night." _

Kakashi made a frown behind his mask. He felt kind of guilty that he had persuaded Iruka to stay with him in the village and to have drinks at that! Now his seekers had found Iruka, even if they hadn't realized it yet. Kakashi felt responsible. He believed the chunin was over his head and it was his duty, as a higher ranking shinobi, to protect a fellow Hidden Leaf shinobi. Kakashi had then mentally devised a plan.

"IRUKA-SENSEI!"

Again, Kakashi winced, knowing the teacher would be upset with him but this had to be done. Kakashi watched the teacher's face redden, his eyes seeming to glimmer slightly with anger or fear, Kakashi didn't know yet. Kakashi mentally pouted when the chunin turned his head away, quite obviously trying to hide it from the men at the bar. Kakashi could feel all the eyes turn to him for his outburst. Kakashi smirked behind his mask, eager to see Iruka's reaction.

"Kakashi-sensei! Please do not attract attention to us! Please be more quite!" Oh did Iruka seem annoyed when he said that.

"Aww Iruka! But I've been talking to you! You were zoning out!" _"Wha!? That still didn't get his attention? I was sure I was going to get a death glare for my lazy use of his name. Well, I'll push it a little more then… I know what will get his attention... heh" _"Oh is she an ex-girlfriend Iruka-sensei!?" _"Better get my drunken act up, sorry Iruka-sensei but I'm going to have to embarrass you something fierce!" _

Kakashi saw Iruka's confused look, he couldn't help but to smirk at this. "Nani!?" was all Iruka could manage, apparently not having paid attention. Kakashi felt he had to push more, knowing he still had the gaze of a few people in the bar, "Don't act sly! I saw you Iruka-sensei!" Kakashi made sure to use the correct honorific while Iruka was paying attention to him, he wasn't going to push the chunin's patience too much. Kakashi punched Iruka's shoulder. Kakashi hated this, he didn't want to act this way while trying to get to know the teacher; he didn't want Iruka thinking he was a drunk but he had to take an act for the sake of the moment. "That woman in the red dress!"

Kakashi couldn't help but love every emotion Iruka produced due to Kakashi's actions. _"So cute! Ignoring a drunk is not always a good idea Iruka-kun." _"Is that how it is!? Well then I see you still have feelings for her Iruka-sensei! Leave it to me!" Rising from the table Kakashi made sure he picked up the sake bottle to take with him as well as a filled cup. Kakashi began to head to the bar counter.

"Kakashi! What are you doing!?"

"_Ooo he's upset! No honorific again! Sorry Iruka-sensei, it's better this way I think; just pay attention." _Kakashi's heart fluttered when he felt Iruka grab his wrist. Even through the material of his gloved hands, Kakashi could feel Iruka's palm was warm with nervousness. Kakashi felt himself wanting to stay in that little touch of warmth but knew, for Iruka's sake now in this moment, he couldn't. Kakashi twisted his arm slightly, just enough to free his wrist from Iruka's sloppy grasp. "It's okay Iruka! I'll talk to her for you!" Kakashi smirked under his mask as he made his way to the bar area, making note to stumble here and there.

Kakashi could feel Iruka's gaze on him, he wanted so badly to turn around and watch the cute face he was sure Iruka was making at that moment. Kakashi forced himself to keep moving though. Using bar stools to "stable" his "drunken" self. He continued down the counter what seemed like towards the "lady in the red dress" that just so happened to be sitting next to the five men that Iruka was so flustered over. Kakashi made his way to the one he felt was the leader figure and put his arm on the man's back, again in a visible attempt to stable himself.

Iruka felt himself gulp air as his throat had gone dry from his heavy, nervous breathing. _"Oh, Kami. We're dead."_ Iruka watched Kakashi as he leaned on the back of one of the gang members back, and the biggest one at that! Iruka's heart skipped at the gaze Kakashi was giving him. He almost glared at him from behind the man's back. It was quite a serious gaze, what did it mean? Iruka watched helplessly as Kakashi put on what seemed like a large grin, and began to talk to the woman in the red dress.

Iruka was quite surprised the man Kakashi was leaning on didn't seem to care or be bothered by the shinobi's brief contact. Iruka winced though as Kakashi began to use hand gestures in his conversation with the woman and spilled sake on the man's shoulder. The man stood up abruptly, making Kakashi unbalanced and fall into the woman in the red dress's chest. That, in turn, made the lady stand up and stomp off, slapping Kakashi's face as she left. Kakashi used her empty stool to steady himself and turned to face the man he had purposely spilled sake on. Kakashi waved the sake bottle in the air as he yelled at the man.

Iruka's heart was beating so fast he couldn't hear any of the conversation; all he could hear was his pulse in his ears. Iruka's eyes widened and he straightened himself. _"Is… Kakashi-sensei…. Doing this on purpose?... wait a minute! When did he!?" _Iruka finally understood the stern gaze Kakashi had given him as a warning and stood from his table. Iruka broke his gaze away from the older shinobi and turned his attention to his shaky hands fumbling with his wallet. He wasn't sure what the tab was but another thing he wasn't sure of was what Kakashi was up to. Iruka made sure to leave plenty extra for any damages the jounin may cause. Iruka then swiftly made his way out the back door.

Iruka wasn't sure if he was to wait for Kakashi or not, so he decided to make his way to the out skirts of the village where Kakashi had whacked his own nose with his Icha Icha earlier that day. Iruka's mind was racing, he was worried for Kakashi and worried for himself and still baffled on how Kakashi knew. _"Had he been watching me longer then I thought… Was He Following ME!?... no Kakashi wouldn't do that.. why would he do that? He has no reason… unless it was a mission and there is no way that would be a mission. I mean… what would be the point?" _Iruka continued to ramble to himself in his thoughts as he made his way into the tree line just outside the village.

As Iruka paced in the tree line, he was lost in his thoughts and didn't notice the sounds of someone coming up on him until they were mere seconds away from reaching him. In a panic, Iruka pulled out a kunai knife and readied himself as best he could for an attack.

Iruka heard a soft chuckle as Kakashi came into view on a branch in a nearby tree. "Yo, Iruka-sensei." Kakashi smiled his one-eyed smile and jumped down from the tree, his feet landing unevenly on the ground. He began to stumble forward.

Iruka, having put away his kunai knife right away at the sight of Kakashi, was in front of the jounin in a flash before he hit the ground. Putting an arm around the man's shoulders and one on his chest to straighten the older man, Iruka blushed at the feeling of the other man. He was hot, very hot, and also damp with sweat. _"What happened back there!?" _Iruka felt a rumble in Kakashi's chest as the man chuckled, moving one of his own arms to Iruka's back to help sturdy himself.

"Maa, I think I've drank too much." Iruka couldn't help but smile at Kakashi's words. He would of never guessed the jounin would of let himself get so wasted with someone he hardly knew, whether it be a fellow shinobi or not. Iruka was slightly flattered at that realization.

Kakashi couldn't help but continuously smile. He was happy that he had ran into the chunin, why there was a gang after the younger man he wasn't sure of, but regardless, he was having a good time. Kakashi couldn't remember the last time he honestly felt warm on the inside like this with more than one pleasure at a time. (Well, he could but it was too painful to remember. As soon as he had realized it… it was taken just as suddenly away from him.) Sake's warmth was one thing, but the warmth from the presence of another human being, now that was something in itself.

"We should continue back to Konohana." Iruka instinctively looked behind them, searching for the presence of following gang members as he spoke.

Kakashi chuckled at Iruka's reaction and took a very deliberate deep breath. Iruka blushed at the feeling of Kakashi's chest rising and let his hand fall from the man's chest to form a nervous fist at Iruka's own side. Keeping his gaze away from Kakashi as the younger man blushed. _"When did he loose his vest?" _

Kakashi smirked behind his mask, gaining the reaction he had expected. "I took care of three of them-" Kakashi was interrupted by a loud, "What!?" from Iruka.

Iruka had stepped away from Kakashi accidentally as he spoke, making Kakashi grip the back of Iruka's vest for support. Iruka quickly repositioned himself next to Kakashi, his hand making its way back to the older man's chest absentmindedly. "W-What do you mean _**took **_care of three of them Kakashi-sensei!? You killed those men in front of those civilians? In front of…. that, that woman!?" Iruak's mouth was slightly opened; he could barely believe the jounin would do something so unnecessary and mentally scarring so many innocent people. Iruka began to fume.

Kakashi's eye had widened at Iruka's assumptions and then the jounin had to smile at the younger shinobi, _"so sincere…" _"Calm down Iruka-sensei." Kakashi loosened his grip on the other's back and preceded with his explanation, "I poisoned them with needles." Kakashi reached into his leg pouch with his free hand to show Iruka a clear case full of needles lined up one by one next to each other with the tips in some kind of liquid. "Don't worry, it isn't deadly, it will just knock them out for a while, or a few days…" Kakashi quickly mumbled the last part. The jounin smiled at Iruka's intent stare at his hidden weapon.

"Oh." Was all Iruka could manage. Kakashi put his case away, mentally sighing as once again Iruka lowered his hand from Kakashi's chest. "However, there are still two of them. I don't know if they will pursue us or keep their attention focused on their fellow members, friends, whatever they are to each other, since they do not know the poison isn't deadly…"

Kakashi straightened himself, popping his back in the process, slightly pulling away from Iruka's hold. He was already beginning to sober up due to his physical activity a moment ago and was regretting letting himself become so familiar with the chunin.

"Are you sure?"

Kakashi nodded at Iruka's question as he knew he was referring to whether or not Kakashi could stand on his own. Kakashi felt his cheeks heat up and was glad he wore a mask. _"Why am I blushing!!?" _"Okay, let's get going then."

Iruka began to walk in the direction of their village and jumped into the trees. Kakashi then activated his sharingan, not many knowing it could be used behind his hitai-ate, and scanned the nearby area for occupants or pursuers. Not picking up on anyone, Kakashi took to the trees following Iruka. As he reached his first branch, he stumbled, barely catching himself before he fell. He steadied himself, _"Kuso! Fool! Why did you let yourself drink so much!?" _Kakashi continued to mentally curse himself as he made his way to solid ground, walking in the direction Iruka had taken off.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Iruka had not felt the jounin near him and looked over his shoulder to confirm that he was not there. He was surprised to find the jounin walking along the ground and called his name once more, "Kakashi-sensei, what are you doing on the ground?" Iruka grounded himself next to Kakashi falling into pace with him.

The silver haired man chuckled, "Gomen-nasai, Iruka-sensei. I sincerely apologize but I've drank too much." Kakashi felt himself blush again as he scratched his nose in embarrassment that he let himself reach such a state.

"K-Kakashi-sensei," Iruka sighed as he just couldn't believe how irresponsible the jounin was.

Kakashi blushed harder at the way his name sounded coming out of the teacher's mouth. He figured Iruka was feeling the same type of disappointment in him as he would feel when one of his students let him down after tutoring him or her a lot and still managed to fail a test. Kakashi felt like he should explain himself somehow. "Umm you see Iruka-sensei, alcohol slows the reflexes you know… umm…" Kakashi madly blushed, not knowing how to continue his explanation or whatever the hell it started out to be.

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei. I know that alcohol slows the reflexes. Not a very good thing for a ninja." Iruka smirked at Kakashi as they continued through the forest at a painstakingly daunting slow pace.

Kakashi mentally 'face palmed' himself and laced his gloved fingers behind his head, looking up into the night sky through the dying trees. It was autumn, Kakashi's favorite time of year. He was happy he left his vest in the bar, he was hot and the night air felt great against the thin material covering his chest. He frowned, now realizing how much noise the two were making as they crushed leaves and twigs beneath their sandals. "I… meant that I usually don't drink so much Iruka-sensei... I'm sorry."

Iruka felt his heart flutter ever so slightly. Was Kakashi Hatake actually apologizing to him? Iruka felt a hot blush come across his cheeks and he looked in the other direction, a finger absentmindedly coming to caress the scar across his nose. "Then…" Iruka jammed his hands in his pockets, glaring forward at nothing, "-why did you force me to drink with you and drink so much sake yourself, Kakashi-sensei!?" _"Why am I getting upset? He just apologized go easy on the drunk!" _

Kakashi stumbled over a tree root, Iruka's question taking him off guard. His arms flailed outwards as he regained his balance. Kakashi heard Iruka chuckled at his display and that made the blush return to Kakashi cheeks. He put his hands in his pockets like Iruka and continued forward. _"Why indeed…. But I don't know the answer Iruka … I don't know how to say it without it… sounding weird… " _Kakashi kept his head slow, staring at where he was walking as he thought of a response.

"Never mind, I'm sorry Kakashi-sensei. I shouldn't have said that." Iruka blushed as he tilted his head to the side and back slightly to listen for any followers.

Kakashi sighed, his head hanging even lower if possible, he mumbled softly, "I'm sorry…."

The two continued in silence for a mile or so. Kakashi would every now and then activate his Sharingan to check their surrounds, this time he felt the presence of two others. Kakashi didn't show this though. He continued his pace next to Iruka as he searched further and tried to analyze the two figures far off. _"Well, it is probably just those two other goons from the bar… they are running in this direction though… and I think I might just make more of a mess of things if I try the tree tops again… They will catch up to us in no time if we continue this pace…" _Kakashi cleared his throat, getting Iruka's attention. "We are being followed Iruka-sensei."

**Arthur:** Hope you liked! Please review! Now as for a preview for next chapter: Kakashi's hounds will be involved as well has a few transform jitsus! Iruka gets mad (what's new) and will they make it back to the village before the encounter with their followers? Any intimate scenes? Tell me what you want! Thanks for reading!


	5. Farewell

**Summary**: Kakashi, having finished his mission early, decides to have a few drinks to drag out his mission's completion time. He unexpectedly runs into Iruka, who had also just got through completing a mission that was to be kept secret. Kakashi gets Iruka to sit with him and get to know the young teacher better, but Iruka shouldn't linger too long in the village due to his recently carried out mission; danger could be following him and he needed to get back to the village, but somehow couldn't say no to the jounin. As they sit and chat both open up to each other and see that they both had wrong impressions of the other_. Eventually_ Kakashi/Iruka shonen-ai/yaoi.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Naruto or any part, fragment, or microscopic section, of Naruto's characters ;~;

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_I know it's been forever for an update, here you go. I'm sorry. I've been caught up in my Biology Principals One story ^^' Hope you enjoy and thank you for reading~btw I really like this chapter xD_

_-_

**Precarious**

Chapter 5:_ Farewell_

"B-being followed!?" Iruka softly repeated as he didn't waver in his pace but turned his head slightly to look behind him. He was too occupied with searching for enemies that he didn't realize how close his face was with the jounin's next to him.

"Maa, Iruka-sensei?"

Iruka's attention didn't waver from his task of locating the enemies. "What is it Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi's face warmed with a blush. _'He's so close, so close. I think I can feel warmth coming off of his skin.' _Kakashi continued to walk at Iruka's hurried pace while he stared at the younger man. The moonlight would break through the branches every now and again and flow over the chunin's face. _'His eyes are so dark and beautiful when then light hits them, they sparkle.'_

Neither of them was expecting what would happen next.

"Kuso!"

"Kakashi-sensei, are you alright!?" Iruka crouched down next to the jounin with a kunai drawn.

Kakashi reached up to touch his aching nose. "Ii tai." _'Kuso, it's bleeding. What the hell just happened?'_

"Kakashi-sensei, are you hurt!? Please answer me!" Iruka put a worried hand on the older man's head, moving his hand down the man's neck and back- looking for injuries.

Kakashi shivered at the touch, what was the chunin doing? "Nani? What are you talking about, Iruka-sensei?"

"Kakashi-sensei! I didn't see the attack! Are you alright, why are you holding your nose. Please let me see!" Iruka was desperate now; he gently put his hand over Kakashi's gloved hand that was grasping his nose.

Kakashi winced, taking in a deep breath. Iruka was touching him so carefully; he was so close right now. Kakashi looked into the teacher's eyes full of concern for the other shinobi. Kakashi slowly and softly repeated what Iruka had said, "You didn't see the attack?" Kakashi activated his Sharingan, the men were still on their way to them; no one was near them.

Kakashi began to chuckle and then stopped just as quickly when his eyes started to tear up from the pain of his nose. "Maa, Iruka-sensei. As much as I dislike admitting it but there was no attack."

Iruka wavered over the jounin who was sprawled out next to a tree. "No attack? Then why are you injured?"

Kakashi began to move, attempting to get up. He kept his head tilted back as he used the tree as leverage, Iruka also holding the jounin's arm for support. Kakashi's face was very hot. Hot from blushing, hot from the sake, and hot from his new injury. He looked away from the chunin as they wobbled back to the path and continued to walk, Iruka holding onto Kakashi's right arm as if walking the elderly.

Kakashi's voice was low and shy, "I just ran into that tree…"

Iruka looked at Kakashi as if he was lying, as if someone attacked him and Kakashi was projecting that person and was making this up. "You, Hatake Kakashi, just ran into a tree, face first?"

Kakashi nodded, still holding his nose.

To Kakashi's surprise Iruka didn't laugh. The teacher moved a hand to hover over Kakashi's which was holding his injured nose. Kakashi flinched away from the oncoming hand.

"Kakashi-sensei, it could be broken. Please, let me check it."

"It is." Kakashi continued to keep his face out of reach of Iruka.

"It is!? Your nose is broke?"

Kakashi nodded.

"You are lucky you have your Hitai-ate on or you probably would have a concussion too! Please try to be more responsible!" Iruka pulled Kakashi to a stop, still holding onto the man's gloved arm. "Now, let me see. I can re-set it for you."

Kakashi quickly shook his head 'no' and then regretted it when pain shot up his nose between his eyes and into his forehead. _'This is beyond embarrassing. My blood is running over my mouth too. I've made such a mess from watching you Iruka, this is your fault you know!'_

Iruka was just about to yell at Kakashi when Kakashi raised a hand to stop his talking. Iruka quickly closed his mouth and scanned his surroundings. Kakashi smirked under his mask and waved Iruka's worry off, "No, not yet. But we must continue on. They are catching up with us quite nicely thanks to me."

Iruka nodded. "You continue on Kakashi-sensei. I will set traps and meet up with you."

Kakashi blinked. "I am not useless you know!"

Iruka looked at Kakashi and rolled his eyes, "You are currently not disproving that statement, you do realize that don't you?"

Kakashi swallowed some blood that had run into his mouth. He couldn't believe this. However, he did like how the chunin tried to take control of the situation, he had guts. Kakashi stepped back from Iruka and began to form hand signs.

"Kakashi-sensei, please allow me! Not in your condition!" Iruka's hands went out for Kakashi but it was too late. A few mumbled words and two puffs of smoke surrounded them, clones.

"Kakashi-sensei!!!"

Kakashi's eyes widened at the tone of Iruka's voice. Anger. He watched the chunin as his face turned red and his body stiffened and pointed beside Kakashi.

"What is _that_!?"

Iruka was referring to one of Kakashi's clones he just created. He turned to look at it and grabbed his nose when he started to laugh. Tears were in his eyes and began to roll into his mask, a mixture of pain and humor.

As the smoke further cleared a clone of Iruka could be seen; however, this clone was not a very good one. It's, proportions were incorrect. Kakashi was shocked at his own development, blaming it on the sake. The Iruka clone had enlarged lips, sparkling eyes, and a rather, large rear end as well as its hair was down.

"What is the meaning of this!?"

Oh the young teacher was mad. Kakashi glanced at the other clone he had created, after himself. Looked just like him. He looked back to the Iruka clone. He tried to contain his laughter because it was too painful to. "Gomen Iruka-sensei, it must be the alcohol. My apologizes."

Iruka's face was redder than a tomato.

"Why do I have such large lips!? And why do I have such a large butt!? And… and… what is wrong with my eyes!? And why is my hair down!?" _'Has he even seen me with my hair down!?'_

Kakashi quickly waved his clones away before Iruka would notice the rather large bulge in the clones pats as well. "Calm down Iruka-sensei, it's just for a distraction."

"Well, congratulations! I'm sure it will work quite well!" Iruka began to stomp back towards the village without Kakashi. "_Pervert!" _It was spoken lowly but it was still audible to the jounin's trained hearing.

Kakashi tried his best to hold in his laughter but let out a chuckle as well as tears from the pain. He couldn't hold the tears back, he wasn't crying because he was in so much pain, it was just the part of his body he couldn't control when injured. His eyes watered involuntarily.

They continued to walk in silence. After a mile or so Kakashi slowly came to a stop.

"What is it Kakashi-sensei?" _'I don't understand, I don't sense anything. His Sharingan is so powerful.'_

Kakashi moved his hand to his face, using his thumb to lap up some excess blood and then formed hand signs for a summoning. His palm made contact with the ground and there was another puff of smoke. Pakkun, Biscuit, and Bull appeared.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Iruka looked a bit concerned.

"The clones didn't last as long as I had hoped." Kakashi kneeled down to look at Pakkun, "Mutt, where are the rest of you guys?"

Pakkun cocked his head to the side. "Rest of us? You only called upon a few of us."

Kakashi scratched the back of his head. "I see, I guess I am tipsier then I originally had thought."

Iruka looked over the nin-dogs. He had seen them before but never so close up before except for Pakkun. Bull nudged Kakashi's shoulder. Kakashi stood up and patted his head.

"I'm fine."

"You don't smell fine. You have blood all over you."

Kakashi waved him to silence. "We are being perused by two goons. Please take care of them and bring them back to the village."

Pakkun nodded and signaled for the other two dogs to follow him, Biscuit looking gloomy as ever as he followed behind Bull.

"It was nice to see you again, Iruka-sensei. Please take care of Kakashi."

Iruka waved to Pakkun, nodding in agreement at him. "I will. Be careful you three."

Pakkun nodded and they sprinted off.

"Will they be okay?" Iruka looked to Kakashi. _'Pakkun said he had blood all over him. He has on that mask I can't tell.'_

"Yes." Kakashi walked past Iruka, "Let's go."

Iruka grabbed Kakashi's shoulder, didn't pull him, just walked with him- holding onto his him as a signal to stop. Kakashi didn't, he continued walking.

"Kakashi-sensei." Iruka spoke in a soft voice. "Please."

Kakashi sighed and stopped. Iruka walked around the jounin and touched the older man's cheeks, Kakashi's visible eye squinting in pain. Iruka let his fingers, one by one, move across Kakashi's facial features, examining him. His face warmed with a slight blush from touching the jounin's face. _'Who else has got to touch his face?' _

Iruka's fingers came across his nose and Kakashi hissed; Iruka making a hissing sound out of sympathy for the older man with him.

"May I?" Iruka was asking permission to remove his mask. Kakashi's eye was still and emotionless. Iruka's gaze wavered a bit as he stared into his grey eye. Iruka turned his face away but left his fingers to hover over the jounin's mask, his blush spreading across his face.

Kakashi moved his face ever so slightly forward so that the fabric of his mask touched the chunin's fingers in a silent consent.

Iruka swallowed as he closed his eyes and very carefully peeled the fabric from Kakashi's injured nose down past his lips; Iruka's hands twitching at the trivial contact of Kakashi's chapped lips. _'There is blood everywhere, he is still bleeding from inside his nose. Kakashi-sensei, you fool.'_

"You could have lost too much blood. What if we had been attacked? What if you passed out? Did you think about that?" Iruka's voice was softer as he spoke but still just as stern.

Kakashi chuckled slightly, the sound of liquid in its laughter. Iruka felt droplets of a liquid splash onto his hands. _'Blood' _

"G-gomen, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka simply shook his head, letting Kakashi know he didn't mind. _'He got this injured from running into a tree? His pride made him suffer this long without asking for any help too.' _Iruka's eyes were tightly shut but he smiled to himself with realizing how stubborn Kakashi was. Iruka let his fingers find the bridge of Kakashi's nose again, the skin of it was broken and crusted with dried blood. He took a moment to let his chakra flow into Kakashi's face.

Iruka shivered slightly with being so intimate with the older jounin he just was coming to know. "Kakashi-sensei. I think it is best if I just set it to stop the bleeding... From being a teacher I know a little bit about healing wounds because I have to look after the children, but I think it's best that the medical team look at it when we return. I'm sorry but it is going to be quite painful."

"It's fine."

_'That's it? It's fine?' _Iruka nodded and moved his fingers around Kakashi's nose a little bit more. "I need… I need to f-face you, Kakashi-sensei. I'll keep my eyes closed." Iruka waited for Kakashi's approval.

Kakashi nodded into Iruka touch. Iruka held his breath as he slowly straightened his body in front of Kakashi to be able to set his nose properly. Iruka's body quivered slightly when Kakashi placed a gloved hand over his eyes. _'…He doesn't trust me…. That's okay, I understand…' _

"Okay, ready? Or do you want me to do it when you're not expecting it?"

"Doesn't matter."

_'When did he get so apathetic?'_Iruka took in a deep breath and pushed against Kakashi's cartilage. There was a popping noise that made Iruka wince. _'His hand didn't even flinch. Kakashi-sensei…I've broken my nose before, I know how painful it is to get it reset…'_

"T-the blood should stop coming out of your nose now… let me know if it doesn't…" Iruka slowly moved his fingers to Kakashi's mask to pull it back up, a strong hand grabbing his wrist stopped him.

"I got it." Kakashi, holding onto Iruka's wrist, moved the chunin's hands down and pulled his mask up quickly and removed his hand from Iruka's eyes. "Thank you Iruka-sensei."

Iruka slowly opened his eyes to see Kakashi smiling with his upturned eye. "Y-you're welcomed. Oh, how are your dogs?"

"They are doing fine. Let's continue." Kakashi placed a hand on Iruka's shoulder and walked past him.

Iruka turned and walked after him. They walked in silence the rest of the way.

-

As the village became visible so did Pakkun, Biscuit, and Bull. Bull had the two unconscious gang members dropped in front of him.

"Very good boys." Kakashi turned to Iruka. "Thank you again Iruka-sensei for your help. Do you mind taking care of the rest of things here?"

Iruka nodded. "Sure, I can. I don't mind."

"Thank you again." Kakashi walked to his Bull and patted the dog on the head and just like that, in a puff of smoke, all four of them were gone.

Iruka smiled to himself as he grabbed the two 'goons' off of the ground and flung them over his shoulders, jumping onto the rooftops. _'Time to turn in this annoying mission.'_

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_Thank you for reading, please review~_


	6. Benefit of the Doubt

**Summary**: Kakashi, having finished his mission early, decides to have a few drinks to drag out his mission's completion time. He unexpectedly runs into Iruka, who had also just got through completing a mission that was to be kept secret. Kakashi gets Iruka to sit with him and get to know the young teacher better, but Iruka shouldn't linger too long in the village due to his recently carried out mission; danger could be following him and he needed to get back to the village, but somehow couldn't say no to the jounin. As they sit and chat both open up to each other and see that they both had wrong impressions of the other_. Eventually_ Kakashi/Iruka shonen-ai/yaoi.

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_Hello! Wordsplat (who is an awesome writer btw!) was the 101th reviewer for my Biology Principals One story and as a reward wanted me to write something with our two in the mission room! Well, I decided to add that scene to this story and so here you go. This chapter is for Wordsplat so I hope you enjoy! Be sure to review! _

_And a big Thank You to those who still have an interest in this story! Sorry for slow updates! _

_-_

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Naruto or any part, fragment, or microscopic section, of Naruto's characters ;~;

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**Precarious**

Chapter Six: _Benefit of the Doubt _

It had been a few days since Iruka had turned in the left over gang members as well as his mission to Tsunade. Tsunade was quite surprised that Iruka had run across Kakashi during his mission and even more surprised that the Jounin had broken his nose. Iruka didn't have the heart to tell her how Kakashi had gotten his injury. He didn't know Kakashi well enough yet but he knew if he told Tsunade something so trivial caused the famed Jounin's injury well, poor Kakashi would not be able to live that one down.

In those few days Iruka had not seen Kakashi around the village either. Those days turned into a week and then a few more days added to that. Iruka was working in the mission room this evening and was remembering his chance encounter with the older Jounin. He remembered how the Jounin was irresponsible and ended up drinking too much and not being able to run let alone walk properly (having run into a tree!). Iruka blushed when he remembered how chapped Kakashi's lips had been and wondering whom else had got to touch that mysterious face. Iruka had had plenty of time to think about the older man. Iruka had come to the conclusion that the Jounin seemed interesting and, despite their predicament during their last encounter, thought he'd give Kakashi the benefit of the doubt in regards to all the rumors floating around about the older man.

Having a break from the flow of mission turn-ins, Iruka opened up his binder to familiarize himself with the names of ninja whose missions were due soon. Hatake Kakashi. Of course the Jounin was on there every time. Iruka had gotten in the habit of just looking over the man's name because the Jounin would turn in reports whenever he felt like it; and, in whatever condition the paper had to endure during its attendance with the ninja. No matter how many times Iruka would complain to Kakashi and even refuse some of his reports, Tsunade would tell him just to take them; that it was better than nothing. Iruka used to get very infuriated over this.

Iruka was so lost in his thoughts today he didn't realize how much of his shift had passed him. Everyone was already gone and Iruka was spaced out with no more reports to file. He quickly blinked and stood, beginning to organize the mess of papers on his desk, vaguely remembering having said goodbye to his fellow ninja and office workers. It was already fifteen minutes past when his shift had ended and Iruka was happy he now had the weekend to look forward to.

Filing away the papers for the weekend, Iruka heard the door open. Figuring it was just an associate that had accidentally left a personal item in the building, Iruka looked over his shoulder with a smile on his face. Iruka was not expecting to see a very worn looking Kakashi waiting patiently at his desk.

"K-kakashi-sensei." He breathed, quickly pushing the filing cabinet shut.

"Maa, Iruka-sensei. My apologizes for being late but, here is my mission's report." He clutched a small folded paper in his gloved hand.

Iruka was flabbergasted. After he realized he had just been standing and staring at the older man, Iruka quickly made his way to his desk-reaching for the paper Kakashi held.

"Of course. Thank you, Kakashi-sensei." Iruka paused, "Are you alright?" He took the small piece of paper from Kakashi who quickly shoved the now empty hand in his pocket.

"I tried to keep it clean but… I think I still managed to get blood on it. Sorry." To Iruka's amazement Kakashi looked to the ground after saying this, as if he was shy and upset to disappoint Iruka.

Iruka raised a brow at the other man and unfolded the mission's report. Yes there was blood on it but not too badly. Iruka could tell that Kakashi had actually taken some time to write this one too. His mission reports were usually a sentence max (usually only a few basic words) and this report actually made up a paragraph in easy to read print.

Iruka displayed his surprise on his face, as he did all his other emotions quite obviously too. Kakashi smiled under his mask. He had actually left for his mission on time and meant to finish up early and turn in the mission report accordingly but, complications came up and one thing lead to another and he was struggling to finish even on time. He hadn't slept in close to three days and had run for half a day to even make it back to Konoha at the present.

Kakashi actually hadn't stopped thinking of the young teacher since their chance encounter in the neighboring village. He would always be able to pick his voice from a crowd and that brown pony tail. Kakashi though, was embarrassed that he had broken his nose by walking into a tree while with the Chunin. It was so stupid, Kakashi thought, that Iruka was sure to think of him a fool and brag to all of Konoha that he was with the famous Copy-Nin when he broke his nose by walking into a tree! Kakashi was very weary when he was called to the Hokage's office for another mission only a few days after his previous, sure she was just going to make fun of him.

However, she didn't. She simply commented on how the nurses hadn't seen him and was concerned for his health. She had told him that Iruka was no medical ninja and to let her check it out. Of course Kakashi declined her friendly offer of kindness, which only angered the woman. She told him to make sure not to put any amount of pressure on it or it would just snap apart again, but even with his fresh injury, would have to carry out his new mission.

And so he was here now, at the missions office. Kakashi was worn out from his mission and was pretty sure he hit his nose somewhere along the way because it hurt just as much as it did over a week ago. He didn't know why he wanted to turn in a report nice and neat and on time to Iruka. Well, he did know why. He wanted the Chunin to smile at him and be happy. Kakashi wanted to make the younger man pleased.

"Kakashi-sensei, I'll ask you again. Are you alright?" Iruka spoke softly to the older man, still holding the slightly late mission report in his hands.

Kakashi's visible eye wondered off to the ceiling as if in thought.

"Yea. I think so."

"You… think so?" Iruka placed the report on his desk. "You look… like you haven't slept in days Kakashi-sensei. Are you sure? You're filthy too. You're clothes are torn and you have dried blood and dirt caked to your uniform."

Kakashi felt a blush warm his cheeks as the younger man looked him over. Kakashi felt vulnerable for some reason under Iruka's inspection. He fidgeted.

"Do you have any injuries?" Iruka walked around the desk to get a closer look at Kakashi.

Kakashi didn't take a step away from Iruka but did slightly lean away from him, feet still in place. "Umm, I haven't and not anything major, Iruka-sensei. Nothing to worry about."

Iruka's eyes widened. _'He really hasn't slept in three days? Three days and he comes here to turn in his report actually almost on time? Why?'_

"Oh, that's right. How is your nose by the way?" Again, in all innocence, Iruka slowly reached for the other man's face.

Kakashi pulled his face back. "It's still healing."

Iruka gave Kakashi a glare. "You never went to the hospital did you, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi almost let out a chuckle when Iruka shifted his weight to one foot and placed one hand on his hip- keeping the other free to point in the face of the Jounin.

"Now, Iruka-sensei. I've been busy you know…" Kakashi involuntarily took a step backwards.

"Hold still." That was all Iruka said in a soft, caring voice before he sighed his frustrations away and closed the gap between the two. Iruka felt a blush wash over his face but did his best to ignore it as he grasped the Jounin's shoulder firmly- keeping him in place. He was amused by the surprise in Kakashi's visible eye as Iruka used his other hand to gently probe the nose area of the older man. He very slowly made his way to the bridge of Kakashi's nose.

Iruka looked displeased.

"Kakashi." Iruka just breathed out the older man's name, no honorific, in aspiration.

Kakashi shivered. He liked it when Iruka just used his first name; it made him feel like they had a close friendship.

Iruka shook his head from side to side slowly. "It hasn't healed one bit at all. Did you injure it again maybe?"

"… Maybe…" Kakashi watched Iruka's face turn from disappointed and caring to annoyed.

"You know, Kakashi-sensei, you really shouldn't be so vague when it comes to your health!" Iruka's nostrils flared out slightly as he debated what to do with this older man. "You are planning on checking with the medical team before you go home, correct?"

Kakashi took another slow step backwards. He was beginning to rethink coming here. A hand rose to scratch the back of his head. "Well, then I guess I better get going. I am tired." He forced a smile, only visible because of the wrinkles by his eye.

"Kakashi."

Kakashi felt a chill run through his body when he focused on the Iruka who just said his name through gritted teeth. The teacher's face was tilted downwards; however, his eyes were locked on the Jounin.

"This village needs you." Iruka spoke in a soft voice.

Kakashi was becoming more and more amused at how the teacher's demeanor could change in an instant.

"This village needs you healthy and capable."

Kakashi held his ground but only could manage a nod.

"If you aren't going to go to the hospital, I really don't feel like trying to force you."

Kakashi made the mistake of letting his chuckle be audible.

"So I will have to take priority and examine you myself." Iruka's voice had again changed drastically and was firm and annoyed. _'I can't just let him walk out of here and end up getting another mission and going on it with injuries again.'_

Kakashi pondered teleporting out of there at that moment but decided against it because he felt too weak right now. Iruka went behind his desk and pulled his chair away from it, dragging it to Kakashi. He gestured for the older man to have a seat and Kakashi did so. Kakashi hadn't realized how exhausted he had been until his body relaxed into the, what would usually be uncomfortable, wooden chair.

For some reason Kakashi let his guard down. Usually, after a mission, Kakashi would be in his extra sensitive awareness mode for awhile, never letting his guard down. He would always listen for sounds and be extra aware of his surroundings. But in the presence of the Chunin, Iruka, Kakashi felt he could relax. Kakashi let his eye close.

"Are there any injuries you are worried about or should I just do a full body scan?" Iruka had rolled up his sleeve and had his hands outstretched, palms forward, to Kakashi. Iruka had been trained to be able to do body scans, for those times when a child would be knocked unconscious and couldn't tell you where it hurt. He would use a technique where chakra would emit from his palms into the patient's body and be able to 'scan' for injuries. Despite this technique, it was quicker to know the location of wounds because scanning blindly was tedious and took time.

"No. Not really." Kakashi let his eye slowly open, his heart raced at seeing the teacher so close.

"Well, Kakashi, do you _have _any injuries?"

"A few."

Kakashi was sure he saw a vein protrude from Iruka's forehead at his simple answer.

"Fine. If you're going to be difficult, I'll just have to do a full body scan. Please refrain from moving." Iruka tried to swallow but found his mouth dry. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to concentrate his chakra. He began the scan starting at Kakashi's cranium. _'Plenty of injuries in here.' _Iruka mentally rolled his eyes at his thought and proceeded.

Kakashi couldn't blink and had to force himself to breathe (if he didn't he was sure Iruka would get mad). Iruka's eyes were closed in face full of concern and concentration and Kakashi couldn't take his gaze off the younger man. He looked over the man's facial features and found himself staring at the scar across the man's nose. Kakashi had never felt this way towards any of the other people who had preformed a medical scan on him; he knew though, that it wasn't just that. That with Iruka, there was something different, a new feeling when around the man.

Iruka scanned across Kakashi's collarbone and down one arm and began to work on the shoulder of the other. _'He has many shallow lesions but no broken bones so far or fractures.' _Iruka let out a sigh of relief but wasn't rejoicing just yet, he wasn't finished with the scan. Iruka became concerned about a poorly bandaged chest wound but moved on.

Iruka again knew his face betrayed his trust when his hands were hovering over the older man's abdomen, his face was on fire. He couldn't let himself over look internal injuries though. With concern for the other ninja's health above his own pride, Iruka pressed on, glad that Kakashi had no internal injuries.

Kakashi was thankful that his body was so exhausted because when Iruka worked his way down, Kakashi wasn't sure he'd be able to control that area well. Kakashi let his eye close again and tried to clear his mind. Despite enjoying this quality time with the younger man, Kakashi really wanted to sleep.

'_What is this?!'_ Iruka's hands had just about finished the body scan when he came across a deep gash in Kakashi's right shin. _'This wound is even still bleeding. How long has he had it? Hasn't slept in three days… when did he get his injury? Three days of bleeding? No. But despite it being bandaged the wound has not had time to close itself. Has he been running with this injury?'_ Iruka quickly finished the scan and put his attention back on the wound on Kakashi's shin.

"Kakashi-sensei, this wound is deep." Iruka was now kneeling in front of the other. "I want to look at it."

Kakashi's eye opened and his heart fluttered with happiness as he meet Iruka's chocolate gaze. "Oh, I'm fine. Thank you for your concern Iruka-sensei, but you needn't bother yourself further with me. I'll live right?"

Iruka closed his eyes, obviously a technique to calm his temper, and began to unwrap Kakashi's leg.

"You'll live but you can't lie to me, Kakashi. Your blood pressure is high. That means you're in pain. It's most likely from this wound. Why were you in such a hurry with this injury anyway? I swear, you need to be more mindful of your own body. You're so irresponsible."

Kakashi knew his blood pressure was high because his heart was racing again at the words Iruka spoke. However, Kakashi didn't mind the pain; he was used to pain. But Iruka, Iruka he was not used to and he was the cause of the Jounin's raised blood pressure, not the pain. Kakashi hissed when Iruka pulled off the last of the leg wrap which accidentally also pulled a bit of flesh with it.

"Oh, Kakashi! I'm so sorry!" Iruka patted Kakashi's thigh comfortingly (like he would for a child) and began to wrap his shin back up.

"Look. This needs attention, Kakashi. It… it needs to be closed. Stitches you know. So I really think you need to go have the medical team patch you up. With a good cleaning and a treatment of ointment, most of your wounds will do just fine. You have a chest wound that should stay bandaged for a few days and of course your nose, and this." Iruka was staring at Kakashi's shin. "But other than that, you have no internal injuries."

Kakashi nodded and sighed when he would now have to stand from the chair; he was exhausted and didn't want to move.

"Thank you, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka nodded and stood, hand outstretched for Kakashi to take.

Kakashi stared at it for a moment, a moment long enough to make Iruka blush and look away but he kept his hand offered to the older man. Kakashi took it and was helped up by Iruka. Kakashi smiled at the younger man who was level with him. Level only because Kakashi was slouched down out of fatigue.

"Let me file your report before I forget and I can help you to the hospital, Kakashi-sensei."

_'Back to sensei. Iruka, you are so kind.' _"Iruka, you are very kind. Thank you, and sorry for troubling you. I'm sure you just want to get home and enjoy your weekend away from all those brats."

Iruka let the word 'brat' slide; he knew Kakashi was exhausted and if he wasn't going to put up a fight going to the hospital than he wasn't going to give the man a reason to fight period. He filed the report as he talked. "Yes, I am looking forward to the weekend. I would ask you your plans for this weekend but I have a feeling I already know them." Iruka chuckled.

Kakashi let out a soft chuckle too. Yes, he would most likely be sleeping the weekend away and not wake until someone gave him a mission again. Kakashi let out a suppressed sigh as he almost fell back into the chair, he was weak. He was in no mood to go to the hospital and was sure he would regret leading Iruka to believe he would go, but, he didn't want to argue with the younger man.

Iruka heard the slight movement of the chair against the floor and turned over his shoulder to glance at Kakashi. His heart thumped against his chest when he saw how weak the famed ninja was currently. _'I'm seeing many sides of him that no one else has. This man has always seemed untouchable… like he could never be killed, never be hurt, never be… weaken.' _Iruka fished the paperwork and began to walk to the waiting Jounin.

"Iruka-sensei, thank you again but, I don't feel like walking. So I'll see you around." Kakashi nodded to Iruka a goodbye before his hand raised in front of his masked face and he transported himself away.

Iruka caught onto what the older man was planning and went to sprint towards the other, arms out ready to stop him, words coming out of his mouth that he knew he had said before, "Not in your condition!" but it was too late. The Jounin was gone. Iruka just stood there, staring at the empty chair as the smoke cleared. "Stupid!" He yelled at no one.

Kakashi had managed somehow to teleport himself into his bathroom. The location selected upon his condition because he knew, Kakashi knew he was too weak to be teleporting himself anywhere and once he did, he had pushed his body too much. Kakashi's body cringed, Kami he hated that feeling as he struggled to keep his body standing as he vomited into the sink uncontrollably.

After a few minutes of dry heaving, Kakashi removed his Hitai-ate and vest, and also got his sandals off before he collapsed on his bed. He was out before he hit the sheets, still half hanging off the bed.

Iruka had quickly gathered his things and locked up the building, having to struggle to keep a walking pace as he made his way to the hospital. For some reason, he needed to check on the Jounin, to make sure he was being taken care of. Iruka had asked almost every nurse in the hospital of Kakashi, most just rolling their eyes and happy not to of had to treat him tonight. Iruka was angry now, angry at Kakashi for not taking better care of himself. Iruka was sure going to give him an ear full when he saw him next. Which would be soon. _'Oh, but I don't know where he lives!'_

Iruka stomped his way to the Hokage's office, of course she wasn't there, so he teleported himself to the village bar. Bingo. Tsunade was surprised to see the teacher appear beside her and almost spilt her sake. Tsunade pulled Iruka down into the booth.

"Are you trying to make a scene? Shizune will see you and find me!"

Iruka mentally sighed at how this was the village's Hokage. He stood. "Where does Hatake Kakashi live?"

Tsunade tried to pull Iruka back down but he moved away. "Why do you want to know where that idiot lives? Please sit down Iruka-sensei!"

"He came to turn in his mission report and was injured. I checked to see if he went to the hospital and he didn't. So, please give me his address so I can drag his ass to the hospital!"

Iruka's face was red with blush and red from what looked like exhaustion.

"I-Iruka-sensei." Tsunade was taken aback by how Iruka was flustered and actually cursed. "Sit!" She spoke that firmly.

Iruka obeyed. She told him the address and Iruka was out of the bar as quickly as he had arrived, bowing with respect as he left. Taking to the rooftops he made his way towards the address Tsunade had given him, with more of a feeling of concern rather than annoyance now. He just wanted to make sure the other man was okay.

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_Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It certainly didn't turn out as planned (they never do!) but I will try in the next chapter xD Thank you all for reading! Please review! ~_


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